Breakfast (Edinburgh Room)

The outlook under Trump 2.0 (St. Andrew’s Hall)

This session will cover the outlook for the North American economy, the U.S. Federal Reserve System, the Bank of Canada and financial markets in the changed world with Donald Trump’s second presidency.

Speaker:

Derek Holt, vice-president, head, capital markets economics, Scotiabank

What’s value-add infrastructure? Demystifying a growing sector

The expansion of global infrastructure also represents an expanding investment universe, which leads to considerable variation within the sector which institutional investors should be aware. This session will focus on differentiating value-add infrastructure from more traditional core and core-plus strategies, as well as how the former asset class can act as a diversifier. It will explore the secular megatrends that are currently driving growth and how value-add infrastructure can complement other infrastructure strategies and private equity portfolio investments.

Speaker:

Daniel Sausmikat, partner, capital formation, InfraRed Capital Partners

This session has been made possible by SLC Management.

Repositioning for resilience: Real estate strategies in a shifting landscape

Over the past several years, real estate investors have navigated a challenging landscape reshaped by a global pandemic, higher interest rates and lower liquidity. With mounting economic and geopolitical pressures and continued uncertainty in the sector, institutional investors are re-evaluating their long-term strategies for real estate allocations. This session will explore perspectives on the most promising opportunities emerging in today’s dynamic real estate market.

Speaker:

Alexandra Katz, managing partner, head, institutional sales, Hazelview Investments

Networking break (St. Andrew’s Lounge)

Asset class spectrum and diversification

This session will explore asset allocation in portfolio management, examining the impact of various asset classes on risk and return. Covering both traditional and alternative investment strategies, this session will demonstrate how to construct well-diversified portfolios tailored to different investor contexts, optimizing performance and risk.

Speakers:

Pascal Bernier, portfolio manager, strategic asset allocation, Desjardins Global Asset Management

Maxime Chevalier, expert advisor, alternative strategies, Desjardins Global Asset Management

Perspectives on asset allocation for endowments and foundations: The impact of access costs
Institutional asset allocation varies; larger institutions have the capabilities and resources to be direct investors, which minimizes access costs. Smaller institutions seeking similar outcomes must refine their approaches if they want similar models to larger institutions, managing access costs to select the most effective implementation strategies. This session will explore the differences in asset allocation and access costs for large and smaller institutions for endowments and foundations.

Speaker:

Mark Webster, director, institutional sales and service, BMO Global Asset Management

Striking the balance: A case study in the evolution of Calgary Foundation’s strategic asset allocation

This session will explore how Calgary Foundation adopted the endowment model of investing by including alternative assets alongside its public market strategies to create a diversified portfolio designed to meet spending and preserve capital. This case study shares the evolution of Calgary Foundation’s strategic asset allocation following the 2008/09 global financial crisis and valuable lessons learned along the way.

Speaker:

Jessica Mitchell, investment associate, Calgary Foundation

Closing networking lunch (Edinburgh Room)